Smile, it’s good for You

Last month Grand Manan Island lost one of its oldest residents, a man that the media has embraced over the past several years.There have been television specials aired about him and magazine articles written about him.Part of the fascination seems to be that even in his tenth decade, Oliver Green has continued to drive a car and do odds jobs.At a time when most of his peers had been retired for three decades or more, Green didn’t seem to slow down.

But more than anything, what attracted the media was that Mr. Green wasn’t known by his given name, instead everyone knew him as “Smiles”, presumably because of his disposition.

So if people were going to nickname you based on your outlook on life, I wonder what that name would be?The reality is that for most of us it would depend, there are times and days that I could answer to any of the Seven Dwarfs’ names. (Have you ever noticed that the only Dwarf without a beard is Dopey?”) But I digress.

Maybe the secret is found in Abraham Lincoln’s words “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”So if being happy is a choice, will it be your choice? Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.